When Noah was a baby there was NO getting him to sleep without a very very tight swaddle. In fact we swaddled him all the way past 1 year to get him to sleep. Once we started therapy for his autism spectrum disorder they told us that was common for kids with autism and that he would benefit from a wieghted blanket. My mom bought the stuff for me to make his weighted blanket over a year ago and I just haven't gotten around to it. Well here we are he is 2 and a half and we are back to him never being able to get himself calmed enough to sleep. He rocks and rocks and rocks. So I figured I would buckle down and get it done . I brought the stuff to make Livy one too.
It was very simple. About 1.25 yards of fabric for each side....plus a 5 yard by 2 inch strip for binding, and however many pounds of plastic pellets you desire. Do not use beans....they aren't washable and once they get damp they will get moldy. You can by a brand called poly pellets.....but I found the cheapest surprisingly was a generic brand at Michaels for doll making. It cost me 30$ for livy's verses 70 for Noah's when we bought the brand name kind. It took me about 3 hours per blanket.
You sew three sides together around the edges. Then sew vetical columns in between those. Then put the poly pellets in each column and sew across. And repeat. I did a 1/4 cup of pellets in each 4x4 square ....the finished blankets are about 7.5 pounds.... They should be about 10-15% of your child's weight. I went a little heavier so they could use them longer. They are by no means professional looking but so far the kids LOVE them and are already dragging them all around the house. We will see if it helps tonight at bedtime!
I know one thing for sure.. IMA sew me one I love them myself its very comforting to have on!
